Ladder



E. F. GIVENS April 1926.

LADDER Filed Oct 9. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ril' 6 1926.

E. F. GIVEKNS LADDER Filed Oct. 9.. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jmnmtoo EDWARD F. GIVENS.

To all whom itmag concern Patented Apr. 6, 1926 UNITED STATES PA I T-f O F EDWARD r. GIVENS, or LANK RSHIM, cA 'IF0RNrA,,AssIeNon- T0 'LANKERSHIM LADDER COMPANY, or LANKERSHIM; CALIFORNIA.

LADDER.

Application filed October 9, 1924. 'SeriatNo. 742,546.

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. GIvnNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lankershim, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented 'a new and useful'Ladder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ladders, and is more partlcularly directed to 2113311 ofladder units that may be either separately employed or assembled to form a stair ladder, an extension ladder, or a step ladder, and

the particular means provided for interlock ing the units intheir respective assembled pos1t1ons. Applicant is aware of the fact that there exists on the market a number of I different types of combination ladders coinprising units that may be assembled as a stair ladder or an extension ladder or as a. step ladder; however, the devices employed for holding these units in their respective assembledposition are insecure and expensive in construction. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide means forsecurely and positively lockingthe units together sothat there will be no play'in the respective units when assembled and in use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a construction for the said positive-locking of the respective units that is inexpensive in construction-and which may be easily actu- V atedinthe assembly or separation of-the units composing the respective ladder combinations. i 4

An object of this invention is to provide a the ladder comprises-two separable units 1 .and 2, the unit 1 comprising two relatively spaced side rails .3 connected together by the vention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as set forth in the following description and as pointed out in the appended claims. Y 1 In the drawing: .p

.Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a pairlfof ladder units assembledas an extensionladder.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. V

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional'sideeleva tion taken substantially on the line 3 --3 of Figure 2. V

rig-4 is agmenal are; new

of the extensionholding mechanism illustrated in Figure 3.

1 Fig. 5 illustrates theinanner in which the wladderunits are assembled to form a step ladder. r a

Fig. 6 is a top elevation of the right hand ladder unit illustrated inFigure 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragment-a1 side elevation" of the ladder units illustrating the manner of locking the two units together toforni a step ladder as illustrated in Figure 5, and illustrating the ladder unlts in their locking position in dotted lines.

Fig. 8 is a-fragmental side elevation illustrating the mannerof holding the said units w in posit-ion to form the said step ladder. Fig. 9 1s a perspective view of the parts composing the novel locking mechanism embodied in this invention.

' Fig. 10 is a sectional side elevation of the locking mechanism illustrated in Fig. 9 showing the same in the assembled position.

, Fig. 11 is a side elevation illustrating the ladder unitsin the assembled position to form a stair ladder. l Fig. 12' is a ,fragmental side elevation illustrating the manner of assembling the ladder units to form a stair-ladder.

Flg. 13 1s a fragmentalsectional side elevation illustratingthe stair ladder holding means for holding'the respectiveladder units. I f v p "Fig. 14 illustrates anothermodified form off'the holding meansillustrated in Fig. 13. Referring particularly to Figures 1 to 6,

1. 'To the side rails 30f the unit 1 extension vholding means? are secured by means of pins 8, the said extension holding means comprising a jaw memberadapted to fit closely. the-rungs 4 and 6,:asillustratedparticularl'y inF-igures 3 and 4,"-it be1ng understood'that when used as an'ez ctension ladder the extension unit- 1 is longitudinally slidable 0n the ground unit 2- -with' its side rails 3 engaging 'therungs 6 of-the said-ground unit 2. The construction thus far described tem tees a x eaaee "ladder. temper two separable units relatively adjustable to provide a ladder of various lengths.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 to 10 and 12, the units 1 and 2 are arranged and provided with novel locking means for assembly as a step ladder. Secured to a point near the upper end of the unit 1 to the side rails 3 thereof are pins or keys 9 adapted to fit within the lock barrel 10 of the said locking mechanism. The said barrel 10 is secured within the cylindrical chamber 11 formed as an extensionot the guide brackets 12, which guide brackets 12 are cast integral therewith and with the pins 13 projecting therefrom. The pins 13 are adapted to pass through the side rails of the unit 2 and are adapted to receive nuts 14 or any similar holding device. Cast integral with the guide members 12 is a plurality of short pins 15 adapted to fit within the bores 16 formed in the cover 17 so that the locking mechanism may be assembled by dropping the revolvable barrel into the cylindrical chamber 11 and fitting the cap 17 to the chamber 11 so that the pins project through the bores 16 so that the ends of the pins 15 may be struck with av hammer so as to form a rivet connection between the said chamber 11 and the cap 17. Secured to the side rails 5 of the unit 2 are the bent plates 18 adapted to engage the ends 19 of the side rails 3 of the extension unit 1.

Referring now particularly to Figures 7 and 12, it will be apparent that in assembling the units 1 and 2 to form the said step ladder, the unit 1 is slid downward along the rungs 6 01 the unit 2 until the members 9 engage the angled portions 20 of the bracket 12. The members 9 are thereby guided into the rectangular recesses 21 formed in the bar rels 10 of the locking means. The unit'l is then turned to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 7, and the barrel 10 thereby turns and locks the members 9 within said rectangular slot so that the said units 1 and 2 are positively locked together and may not be separated without returning the said units 1 and 2 to the position indicated in the full lines in Figure 7. It is important that the members 9 fit closely within the slots 21 of the barrels 10 so that there will be no play or transverse motion of the members 9 within the said slots 21, and by which provision it is insured that the l: dder units, when assembled as a step ladder, will at all times be secure.

In separating the ladder units land 2, it will be observed Figure1'2Hthatallthat is required is to close the ladder units 1 and 2 together, sliding the unit 1 upward a short distance on the unit 2 so that the'members 9 are disengaged from within the slots 21 ot the barrels 10 and then the same may be removed in a direction as indicated by :the-"full-lines in Figure 12,

The units 1 and 2 are shown assembled in a manner to form a stair ladder in Figure 11, the side rails 3 of the unit 1 having a plurality of bores 22 formed along their length so as to engage pins 23 secured to the ends 24; of the members 18; the under side of said side rails 3 are in this position engaged with the upper edges 25 of the opposite ends of the members 18. By this means applicant has provided a lock or holding device for use in connection wlth a pair of ladder units assembled as a stair ladder that positively holds the units in their assembled position, while also providing means whereby the units may be assembled in a plurality of positions, dependent upon the slope of the stairs or incline at which it is desired to assemble the ladder.

In Figure let a modified form of holding device illustrated in Figures 11 and 13 is shown, which provides threaded cores 26 to be fitted within the said bores 22, and the pins 23 are threaded at their lower ends to be screw-threaded into the said cores 26.

vMeans are provided for easily unscrewing or screwing up of the said pins 23 in the cores 26, which are of any suitable form or construction herein shown as comprising a head 27 and threaded to a reduced portion 28 of the pin 23. By this means it is assured that the pins 28 will not become disengaged from the ends 24 of the members 18.

Having fully described the preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited in this invention to the exact modifications shown, and my invention is of the scope indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combination extension, stair, and step ladder comprising two separable units longitudinally slidable relative to each other for use as an extension ladder, means for maintaining the units in sliding engagement when in use as an extension ladder, means for positively locking the said units together when in use as a step ladder, said means comprising a pair of locks having slotted rotatable barrels and means for securing the said locks to the side rails of one of said units, and means secured to the other of said units. and adapted to fit within the slots in the said barrels and to rotate the said barrels when said units are spread to form a step ladder.

2. A step ladder comprising two separable units each of which units includes a pair of spaced apart side rails and a plurality of rungs, means for positively locking the said unit-s together when spread to form a step ladder, said means comprising a pair of locks having slotted rotatable barrels and means for securing the locks to the side rails of one of the units, and means secured to the other of said units and adapted'to fit "within the slots within the barrels, and to rotate the barrels when said units are spread to form a step ladder. v

3. A step ladder comprising two separable units, each of which units comprises a pair oi spaced apart side rails and a plurality of rungs, means for positively locking the said units together when spread to form a step ladder, said means comprising a pair of locks havlng slotted rotatable barrels and means for securing one look to each side rail of one of the units, means secured to the other of said units and adapted to fit within the slots in the barrels and to rotate the barrels when said units are spread to form a step ladder, and means secured to one of said units and adaptedvto engage the other of said units for holding the units against rotation when spread to form astep ladder.

4%. A combination ladder comprising two v units, means'lforpositively locking the units together when spread to form a step ladder,

said means comprising locks having slotted rotatable barrels and means for securing the locks in spaced relation to one of the units, means secured to the other of said units and adapted to fit within the slots in the bill's,

rels and to rotate thebarrels when said units are spread to form a step ladder.

5. A combination ladder comprising two units, means for positively lockingthe units together when spread to form a step ladder, said means comprising a plurality of locks having slotted rotatable barrels, means for securing the locks in spaced relation to one of the units, means secured to the other of said units and adapted to'fit within the slots lattermeans including pins secured in spaced relation to' one ofsaid units, and a plurality of bores spaced apart along the outer plane edge surface on the other of said units into which the pins are adapted to fit, and means secured to one of said units and engageable by the'other of said units for maintaining the pins in said bores and for maintaining the units against rotation.

7 A device of the class'described comprising two ladder units, means for positively locking the units together when spread to form .a step ladder, said means including spaced apart rotatable members secured to one of said units and means secured to the other of said units and adapted to engage the rotatable members to rotate .the same when said units are spread to form a step ladder; .7 I V Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 1st day of October, 1924:.

' EDWARD F. GIVENS 

